Thanks to Elon Musk, I have moved to Bluesky, mostly. I still visit Twitter, but tend to see what a few people have tweeted, including JK Rowling. As more and more people make the switch, it has left a huge number of people there who I consider toxic.
Bluesky has very few right wingers on it, most of the time, I do not encounter posts that I disagree with. But using it is a much calmer experience than Twitter. The downsides have been that I have had more issues accessing it, that there are some accounts on Twitter who have not moved over and that there are still lots more people on Twitter.
What has been interesting is to read the comments on two identical posts from Fesshole. The Bluesky one has polite responses to it, but on Twitter, the comments there are full of bile and hatred. If you are interested, click on the links to read them, and if you want, you can leave a comment on this post below.
This is a poor attempt at a comedy and a whodunnit. The plus side is that we all watched it as a family, though as you may guess, I was the one who liked it the least. The film was set in Capri. With the stunning scenery, it is a great advert for the island. Not sure how this film would have been made if it been produced in a way to appease Trump and his film tariffs, as it would require major changes to the plot.
Would I watch it again? No. Would I have been happy if I had paid to watch it in the cinema? No. I would rate this as two out of five, but I must have missed whatever it is that means that others consider this to be an average film. I suspect that the other star was given for the scenery.
I joke about how The Empire were not that bad, but we are in danger of seeing this happen in the Republic that the USA is, for now. Comparisons have been made to Bush and Episode Three of the Star Wars franchise in the past, and even with Trump in his first term. We will get more of an idea if democracy is threatened after the midterms in the USA. While freedom of speech is being nudged in the USA, repeatedly, no laws forbidding improper thought for American citizens have been passed. Yet.
Anyway, back to the enjoyable parts of Star Wars. I hope that any who have not seen this video like it.
Reform UK have done really well in the local elections. I think that they are there because they have not been challenged in the correct manner. Some arguments are valid, notably the scrapping of winter fuel payments which have driven people away from Labour. Other methods, notably calling Reform voters racist and thick, are wrong.
Labour have taken decisions that I think are wrong, another example being the rise in National Insurance which will harm the economic growth our nation needs. Labour has also alienated core supporters with some actions, such as cuts to foreign aid and the rising number of people being removed from the country. An example of how supporters are losing faith with Labour is with the recent changes to immigration. Labour have a hard time getting the publicity they need to make people aware of this, but one way to get that spotlight is to debate such matters with those who are more left wing. Doing so on channels like Novara Media will mean that more mainstream news channels might be willing to debate the issues.
In summary, Labour need to debate some issues with the left in a public forum, they need to point out the further harm Farage will cause to our great nation if he takes power and Labour needs to shout out about how things like NHS waiting lists are falling and how potholes are being repaired nationwide.
Sorry to bang on about gender again. But I have had some interesting discussions with my daughter and son over this, and there have been some recent interventions.
When watching The Last of Us with my son, he asked me about what I thought about Pedro Pascal and his view on JK Rowling. My view is that he appears to have been taken into the toxicity about what JK Rowling has not said, rather than what she has said. In February, Pascal shared the quote: “A world without trans people has never existed and never will,” on Instagram, dividing his followers. After some threatened to unfollow him, he reiterated his stance, writing: “I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorising the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist.” I have been on record saying that I do not agree with all that JK Rowling has done, notably the way she misgenders people. I suspect that she has been radicalised on this by social media and I would like to concentrate on the things she said in the past that I agree with. But while I used to defend her when people called her transphobic, I am reluctant to do so now.
My daughter and I have discussed this, but she is not keen on reading the essay that Rowling wrote five years ago. I do hope this changes, but she is to discuss this with me further.
But while the debate is often toxic, it does not have to be. David Tennant, when asked about JK Rowling spoke out in a manner which I think was quite pleasant. I wish that debate on this matter could occur in a civil manner. Others have done so.
I accept that many are to consider me to be transphobic, a label my children do not agree with. But I think it is important to summarise my current views. I say current as they have changed over time.
Just because you identify as something does not mean you are it. Rachel Dolezal identified as being black, despite having two white parents. Very few people accept the way she identifies herself as correct.
Communal changing areas should be subject to segregation based on genitalia. I have been to shops where changing areas are unisex and there was an attendant to ensure no theft took place who also would have been a witness if anything untoward happened.
A child who wishes to socially transition at school without informing their parents should be allowed to do so, but just as this applies to a teenager seeking an abortion, that child should be encouraged to involve their parents. But, that child should still use facilities based on biological sex.
Yes, Arsenal lost. Any semifinal is a tricky tie, and while we have a good record against PSG, it is the result on the night that counts. And we were wanting. I only got to watch the highlights as I had work to do, but I am still hopeful that we can get through to the final. And if we do, I hope we face Inter Milan as I think that Barcelona will tear us to bits.
